Star Trek: The Motion Picture
"The human adventure is just beginning..." When a large and destructive space cloud is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the refitted USS Enterprise to intercept it. Summary Act One An immense cloud of controlled energy passes through Klingon space. Three ''K't'inga''-class battle cruisers led by the [[IKS Amar|IKS Amar]] respond to the incursion. After their photon torpedo volley is swallowed by the cloud without effect, the squadron pulls back. A nearby Federation Starfleet listening post, Epsilon IX, observes the engagement, including the effortless annihilation of the Klingon starships by the cloud's energy weapon. Unhindered, the cloud continues on a course that will take it into Federation space, headed directly for Earth. On distant Vulcan, Starfleet Commander (inactive) Spock has neared complete attainment of the Kolinahr discipline, a complete purging of emotion. Disturbed by a new awareness of the approaching cloud that seems to speak to his Human side, he interrupts the final ceremony, leaving his recent ambition unachieved. Chief of Starfleet Operations Rear Admiral James T. Kirk arrives at the Presidio campus of Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. Meeting Commander Sonak, the ''Enterprise'''s recently appointed Science Officer, Kirk expresses his intent to accelerate the deployment of Enterprise under his own command. After a short meeting with Admiral Nogura, Kirk transports to the orbital office complex of the San Francisco Fleet Yards, nearby the drydock where the Enterprise has spent the previous eighteen months undergoing a massive refit. Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott escorts Kirk to the Enterprise, piloting a shuttlepod. Protesting the limited time allotted, the engineer presents a list of problems and insists the Enterprise needs a shakedown first. Kirk plainly explains the danger of the approaching cloud, and that the only starship in range to intercept is the Enterprise, ready or not. Coyly, Kirk reveals that he'll be taking the center seat. Scotty responds with a promise that Enterprise will launch on schedule. Scott indulges his once and future captain with a thorough inspection of the redesigned and rebuilt heavy cruiser [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]]. Visible differences include two new warp engine nacelles atop swept-back pylons, a recessed navigational deflector beneath a prominent new dual-photon torpedo complex, a new impulse drive system, and a new bridge module. Boarding the ship without ceremony, Kirk briefly greets his familiar bridge crew before making his way to the new engine room, where Captain Willard Decker assists Scotty with launch preparations. The son of an old colleague and hand-picked by Kirk to succeed his captaincy, the young officer expects a friendly send-off. Instead, he's incredulous at the news he's been displaced and demoted in favor a recently desk-bound officer unfamiliar with the ship's new systems. Kirk's attempt to apologize is rebuffed, but Decker acknowledges his new status with "Aye, Sir." A console erupts as part of a transporter malfunction in progress. Kirk and Scotty rush to the transporter to help Chief Rand, but are unable to maintain the pattern integrity of Commander Sonak and another officer in transit. Twisted humanoid flesh coalesces, screaming, then fades out. A chilled officer on the other end of the stream reports, "What we got back... didn't live long, fortunately." Kirk exits to the corridor, dismayed by the deaths. Disoriented, he asks for directions, a weak moment witnessed by Decker. Refusing to acknowledge embarassment, Kirk informs Decker that without Sonak, he'll have to perform double-duty as First Officer and Science Officer. Flanked by his senior staff on the Recreation Deck, Kirk briefs the mustered Enterprise crew on their mission. An incoming subspace transmission from Epsilon IX demonstrates the relentless advance of the cloud, which destroys the station without leaving a trace. Kirk announces Enterprise's impending launch. Final crew replacements arrive. The new navigator, Lieutenant Ilia is a Deltan, causing a stir among the male bridge crew. As if a reassurance, she cites her oath of celibacy is on record. Her meeting of now-Commander Decker suggests their romantic history. Word of an officer refusing to undergo transport sends Kirk back to the transporter room, transmitting his order to beam the man aboard. Doctor Leonard McCoy materializes, immediately griping about his forced return to active duty. Kirk admits responsibility for the draft, asking for his old friend's help. McCoy asks permission to come aboard. As ready as she can be, the reborn Enterprise gracefully slips from drydock for open space under thrusters. Kirk is obviously comfortable in his new chair, and orders Lieutenant Commander Hikaru Sulu to accelerate under impulse power. At half the speed of light, Enterprise makes its way to the edge of the solar system. Act Two Memorable Quotes "...and we have an untried captain." "Well, two-and-half years as Chief of Starfleet Operations may have made me a bit stale, but I wouldn't exactly consider myself ''untried... They gave her back to me, Scotty." "Gave her back? I doubt it was that easy with Nogura." : - '''Scotty' and Kirk "Admiral – I want this! As much as you wanted the ''Enterprise back, I want this!" : - '''Decker', entering the final code to V'ger Background Notes *Grace Lee Whitney (Janice Rand) and Mark Lenard (Klingon captain) are the only actors, besides the original cast, to appear in both this film and the final Star Trek: The Original Series film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. * According to the Guinness Book of Records, when the movie was produced, it was the most expensive film ever made with a total production cost of US$46 million. This doesn't take inflation into account, however; taking it into account, Cleopatra was (and still is) the most expensive film ever made. * The film earned $11,926,421 in its opening weekend at the US box office, a record at the time. * The world premiere of the film took place in Washington, DC on December 6, 1979. It was a fund-raising event for the National Space Club. A black tie affair, it was followed by a reception with all the film's stars and Gene Roddenberry at the National Air and Space Museum, complete with an orchestra playing the Jerry Goldsmith theme. (Some internet sites incorrectly state it was at the Kennedy Center.) * Paramount sought and obtained a variety of Design Patents on some costumes, ships, and props from this movie. * The ''Star Trek'' newspaper comic strip was launched in coordination with this movie, four days prior to its premiere. *The plot and script emerged from the failed pilot for Star Trek: Phase II, "In Thy Image". The film was adapted as a novel and as a three-part comic. Saucer Separation Throughout most of the filming of The Motion Picture, a final ending story had yet to be developed. Designer Andrew Probert provided the producers with his own script suggestions for a visually dramatic conclusion, and storyboarded the key event. For the record, the possibility of the original Enterprise's undergoing a saucer separation was first mentioned in the original series episode "The Apple". But it was not until the pilot episode of The Next Generation that the maneuver was finally depicted. The Walk to V'Ger Twenty-two years after The Motion Picture appeared in theatres, the film was re-released with the intention of depicting an improved version, closer to the director's original vision. The Director's Edition added a new sound mix and new scenes to Robert Wise's classic film, but one of the most notable changes from the original version is the stunning addition of new visual effects, specifically in how the mysterious craft V'Ger, is revealed. Since the walk to V'ger scene was the climax of the movie, it was important to convey a sense of the extraordinary and fantastic by using the new visual effects to complement the original film rather than overwhelm it. Critical opinion is mixed as to whether it succeeded. Footnotes 1 There is some controversy over the dating of the first Star Trek movie. The official Star Trek Encyclopedia, written by Michael Okuda, places TMP in 2271, stating that it took place two years after the end of the last five-year mission. Okuda places the Enterprise's five-year mission between 2264 and 2269. However, this does not account for the non-canon but sometimes-accepted events of the animated series, which some fans believe took place in late 2269 and early 2270. Furthermore, VOY: "Q2" states the mission did end in 2270. Based on Decker's line to Kirk, the latter had "not logged a single star-hour in the last two and a half years." There is also the quote from Kirk to Scotty, "Well, two and a half years as Chief of Starfleet Operations may have made me a bit stale, but I certainly wouldn't exactly consider myself untried." This indicates a minimum of two-and-a-half years between the time the Enterprise returned to drydock (following the end of TAS) and the beginning of the first movie. This interim places TMP some time in 2272 or 2273 (depending at what point in 2270 the ship returned home). Despite the information from the normally reliable Okuda (he was, after all, in charge of maintaining continuity), the figure of 2273 seems more logical. First off, it has generally been accepted that the series ran in the same year in the 23rd century as the shows did in the 20th century, with "Where No Man Has Gone Before" filmed in 1965 and set in 2265, and thus the five-year mission ended in 2270, any TAS argument aside. Scotty and Decker state that the Enterprise had undergone 18 months of refitting; it doesn't necessarily follow that it started as soon as the five-year mission ended. The crew would have needed some rest, say six months shore leave. That still leaves a year unaccounted for; perhaps this could be tied up with planning needed to decide what new features would go into the refit and finalizing the design. With all the talk of how long it took to design Enterprise-D, this actually seems very rapid. Cast of Characters *William Shatner as Captain Kirk *Leonard Nimoy as Spock *DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy *James Doohan as Scotty *George Takei as Sulu *Majel Barrett as Dr. Chapel *Walter Koenig as Chekov *Nichelle Nichols as Uhura *Persis Khambatta as Ilia *Stephen Collins as Decker *Grace Lee Whitney as Janice Rand *Mark Lenard as the Klingon Captain *Billy Van Zandt as the Rhaandarite ensign (credited as "Alien boy") *Roger Aaron Brown as Epsilon Technician *Gary Faga as an Airlock Technician *David Gautreaux as Commander Branch *John D. Gowans as the Assistant to Rand *Howard Itzkowitz as a cargo deck ensign *Jon Rashad Kamal as Lt. Commander Sonak *Marcy Lafferty as Chief DiFalco *Michele Ameen Billy as Epsilon Lieutenant *Jeri McBride as a Technician *Terrence O'Connor as Chief Ross *Michael Rougas as Lt. Cleary *Susan J. Sullivan as Woman ; Crew Members: * Ralph Brannen * Ralph Byers * Paula Crist * Iva Lane * Franklyn Seales * Momo Yashima ; Klingon Crew: * Jimmie Booth * Joel Kramer * Bill McTosh * David Moordigian * Tom Morga * Tony Rocco * Joel Schultz * Craig Thomas ; Vulcan Masters: * Edna Glover * Norman Stuart * Paul Weber * Joshua Gallegos as Perez (credit as "Security Officer") ; Yeomen: * Lisa Chess * Leslie C. Howard * David Gerrold as an Enterprise crewman (uncredited) * Bjo Trimble as an Enterprise crewman (uncredited) Crew ; Technical Assistants: * Sayra Hummel * Junero Jennings ; Stunts * Robert Bralver * William Couch * Keith I. Jensen * John Hugh McKnight * Screenplay by Harold Livingston * Makeup designed by Fred Phillips * Costumes designed by Robert Fletcher References ''Amar'', IKC; Andorians; air tram; air tram station; astronomical unit; biofunction monitor; ''Columbia'', USS; ''Constitution''-class; Creator; Drydock; Deltans; Delta IV; emergency evacuation thruster pack; ''Entente'', USS; ''Enterprise'', USS; exocrine system; God; hertz; inertial stabilizer; Klingons; kolinahr; K't'inga class; linguacode; Machine Planet; ''Merrimack'', USS; Nogura; Oath of Celibacy; orbital office complex; Probert (Commodore); Quad L-14; ''Revere'', USS; spray applicator; ''Surak''; travel pod; Vulcan master; wormhole Background references Aaamazzarites; Arcturians; Betelgeusians; Betelgeuse II; [[USS Enterprise (XCV 330)|USS Enterprise (XCV 330)]]; ''Federation''-class; ''Hermes''-class; K'normians; Kazarites; Megarites; O'Ryan's Planet; ''Ptolemy''-class; Rhaandarites; Rigellians; ''Saladin''-class; Sauria; Saurian; Shamin; Zaran II; Zaranites External Links * * Motion Picture, The de:Star Trek: Der Film es:Star Trek I: The Motion Picture fr:Star Trek: The Motion Picture nl:Star Trek: The Motion Picture sv:Star Trek: The Motion Picture